VOA慢速英语--报道称美军用枪支不断流失 有些现身街头被用于暴力犯罪

Report: Stolen US Military Weapons Used in Violent Crimes

In the first investigation¹ of its kind made public in many years, an Associated Press investigation has found that at least 1,900 U.S. military guns were lost or stolen during the 2010s. Some of the weapons were later used in violent crimes.

The AP reports that since the military limits the release of such information, the number is likely much higher.

The investigation was based on government records from the Army, Marine² Corps³, Navy and Air Force. The documents showed that many guns, including machine guns and automatic assault rifles, had disappeared from storage spaces, ships and other places. None were reported publicly.

Military explosives were also lost or stolen, including some grenades that were later found at a home in Atlanta, Georgia.

In Afghanistan, 65 Beretta M9s were stolen from a storage building. The missing guns were not discovered for weeks and were never recovered.

The Pentagon used to share yearly information about stolen weapons with Congress, but that requirement ended years ago.

The Army and Air Force could not tell the AP how many weapons were lost or stolen from 2010 through 2019. So, the AP built its own database using information it received through criminal cases, property loss reports and other records.

The report found that investigators⁴ often cannot find missing guns because of poor record keeping.

Military weapons can be very appealing to some military insiders who know the weak points in the security. Such individuals can make money by stealing the guns and selling them.

"It's about the money, right?" said Brigadier General Duane Miller⁵. He is the Army's second highest law enforcement official.

High officials in the Army, Marines and the Secretary of Defense⁶'s office said tracking weapons is very important. However, the officials said they do not think missing weapons is a large problem. They noted⁷ that the number is very small when compared to the military's total number of weapons.

Defense Department spokesman John Kirby said the military has "several million" weapons. He said cases of missing firearms are taken "very seriously." He added that the military could account for 99 percent of its weapons.

Since there is no longer a reporting requirement, the Pentagon is responsible for telling Congress about missing weapons. That has not happened since at least 2017.

A Department of Defense official told the AP that while a missing missile would, of course, be reported, a stolen machine gun would not.

While the AP's investigation centered on the 2010s, incidents linked to missing military weapons still happen.

In May, an Army trainee⁸ fled with an M4 rifle and hijacked⁹ a school bus full of children. He eventually let everyone go free. Last October, police in San Diego pulled over a car and found a grenade launcher in the front seat.

The AP found eight times that stolen military guns were used in civilian¹⁰ shootings or other violent crimes. The cases were found by examining investigative and court records, as well as published reports.

Kirby said his office was not aware of any stolen or missing guns being used in civilian crimes. The FBI's Criminal Justice Information Services said 22 guns belonging to the military were used to commit crimes during the 2010s. But that total could include weapons the military sold legally.

The nonprofit organization Small Arms Survey says the entire U.S. military has an estimated 4-5 million firearms.

Charles Royal is a former army employee who was in charge of the military's gun registry.

"You're dealing¹¹ with millions of weapons," Royal said. He added: "But we're supposed to have 100 percent (reconnaissance), right. OK, [and] we're not allowed discrepancy¹² on that, but there is so much room for discrepancy.

Words in This Story

grenade – n. a small bomb thrown by hand or shot from a gun

track – v. to follow the movements of something

reconnaissance – n. military activity in which soldiers are sent to find out information about an operation

allow – n. to permit

discrepancy – n. a difference between two things that should be the same

1 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

2 marine   

adj.海的；海生的；航海的；海事的；n.水兵

参考例句：

• Marine creatures are those which live in the sea. 海洋生物是生存在海里的生物。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。

3 corps   

n.(通信等兵种的)部队；(同类作的)一组

参考例句：

• The medical corps were cited for bravery in combat.医疗队由于在战场上的英勇表现而受嘉奖。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。

4 investigators   

n.调查者，审查者( investigator的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• This memo could be the smoking gun that investigators have been looking for. 这份备忘录可能是调查人员一直在寻找的证据。
• The team consisted of six investigators and two secretaries. 这个团队由六个调查人员和两个秘书组成。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 miller   

n.磨坊主

参考例句：

• Every miller draws water to his own mill.磨坊主都往自己磨里注水。
• The skilful miller killed millions of lions with his ski.技术娴熟的磨坊主用雪橇杀死了上百万头狮子。

6 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

7 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

8 trainee   

n.受训练者

参考例句：

• The trainee checked out all right on his first flight.受训者第一次飞行完全合格。
• Few of the trainee footballers make it to the top.足球受训人员中没有几个能达到顶级水平。

9 hijacked   

劫持( hijack的过去式和过去分词 )； 绑架； 拦路抢劫； 操纵（会议等，以推销自己的意图）

参考例句：

• The plane was hijacked by two armed men on a flight from London to Rome. 飞机在从伦敦飞往罗马途中遭到两名持械男子劫持。
• The plane was hijacked soon after it took off. 那架飞机起飞后不久被劫持了。

10 civilian   

adj.平民的，民用的，民众的

参考例句：

• There is no reliable information about civilian casualties.关于平民的伤亡还没有确凿的信息。
• He resigned his commission to take up a civilian job.他辞去军职而从事平民工作。

11 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

12 discrepancy   

n.不同；不符；差异；矛盾

参考例句：

• The discrepancy in their ages seemed not to matter.他们之间年龄的差异似乎没有多大关系。
• There was a discrepancy in the two reports of the accident.关于那次事故的两则报道有不一致之处。